The National tribune., 1887-06-23
"DALLAS WOODS"
The Days and Nights OF Fierce Fighting At and
Near New Hone Church.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Comrade De
Land, Co. ID, LIST Ohio thinks there is some
confusion Of names in regard TO the battles at
aud near New Hope Church, Ga. We belonged
TO the Third Division, Twentieth Corps. The
battles referred To were fought in the tract Of
country known as Dallas Wilderness, or Dallas
Woods, as il is more commonly called. i have
always understood that Pickett's Mill was on
Pumpkin Vine Creek. / remember that on the
morning of May %, 1864. our division COM
mander, Gen. Butterfeld, issued an order and
gave the name Of the encampment as Burnt
Hickory Grove" in which he cautioned the
men of the command TO guard against sunstroke
by putting green leaves in their caps Gen.
Geary was in the lead with his White Star Di-
vision, and We were close behind. About 3
o'clock p. m. of that day We found the enemy.
battle at once began, and continued until
darkness and rain put an end 10 il.
Our brigade-the First, of the Third Diyis-
ion-was depoyed and advanced close upon
the enemy, but was ordered TO halt before we
became actively engaged. On our left the bat
tie was as hard as any we were ever in for the
time il lasted. We occupied a rayine all that
night, while the rain poured down in torrents,
and the heavy forest, with the smoke of battle
around, made the night one Of inky black
ness.
At little before dawn we moved forward to
and began fortifying. The boys who were
there will remember how wet and foggy the
morning was and how hot il was on the skir-
mish-line. as the enemy's works were in plain
sight, only 20 yards in front of our works.
Capt Dan SedwicE, with Co. of our regiment,
had driven the rebels into their works that
morning, losing a number Of men wounded in
doing SO. Our works were the next morning
pierced with embrasures, and artillery was
placed in position. For several hours they
threw shot and shell into the rebel lines with
scarcely moments interruption. There was
rebel battery in front of us, which with our
Spencer rifles we kept from being fired or re-
moved.
remember Of being on the skirmish- line in
the afternoon of the 2Gth with a Spencer ride,
with orders TO keep up an annoying fire on the
guns IN our front Just after had got in a
good position team OF six horses made a rush
10 draw OF one Of the guns, but horses aud
riders went down IN less time than it takes to
write this sentence; and when could see no
rebels TO shoot at j would shoot at the cannon
wheels that could see through the embrasures,
just 10 sec the splinters fly.
We were relieved from the front line ON the
9th, but remained in that vicinity until June
j, when Gen. John a. Logan and the Fifteenth
Corps relieved US and we moved several miles
TO the left. During ali the time from May %
until June j IL was "a continuous battle. We
always called our part OF il New Hope Church,
but have heard men Of other CORPS call il by
the different names that COmrade DE Land
suggests Those who were there and took n
hand in the engagements Of the dates NEIL
toned viii recognize the place if We call il
Dallas Woods. &C. NJ. CASTLE, Co. ID, IO2d
ILL.,, Yorktown, Iowa